Eden's Secret

Chapter 2

"What an amazing show!" Jordan exclaimed to Will when he emerged from his dressing room. "Why have I never been to one of your concerts?" she quipped.

"Good question," he laughed. "I'll have to see what I can do to fix that."

Jordan took a minute to look Will over. He had entered the dressing room immediately after the show, sweaty and out of breath. Twenty minutes later, he came out showered, holding a bottle of water. He looked even more handsome than before, each time she saw him. She was desperately trying to keep herself under control and not let her professional guard down. But it was getting harder and harder.

"What time do the rides shut down? Do we have time to do any of those?" he asked her.

She looked at her watch, not expecting him to want to stay for the festivities at all, it was almost 10:00. To be honest, she was so tired she just wanted to go home. Once the concert ended, she was officially "off duty" for the night. But after a quick moment to think about the benefits of staying and spending a few more hours with this intriguing man, she then took out her phone to check the picnic itinerary. "We have until midnight. What do you want to do first?"

"Let's do the Ferris wheel. "

The two walked towards the Ferris wheel, stopping once to grab a pronto pup, a funnel cake to share, and a soda. Everyone there obviously knew who Will was after the spectacular concert. Jordan and Will must have been stopped ten times on the way to the Ferris wheel by adoring fans asking for autographs. She wasn't sure what to make of all this. She had had him all to herself most of the day and it felt like she was getting interested in a "regular guy." But this knocked her back to reality. She didn't know how dating a celebrity worked and if she was really interested, she'd have to find a way to make it work. Fortunately, the Ferris wheel operator let them ahead of the line and they climbed aboard the moving seat as it went by.

They sat quietly in the seat as it rose, in slow increments, ever so higher. He waved at a few silly girls that hollered at him from the seat below. Then he leaned back, closed his eyes and took a deep breath. She wasn't sure if the deep breath was from frustration, being worn out, or just relaxation. So she settled back, looked out over the fairgrounds and decided to be quiet and let him speak first. The cool air and the fact that they finally were able to sit down after a long day felt good to both of them.

"Are you cold?" he broke the silence. She looked over at him and smiled.

"Not too bad." She had dressed in warm layers and had been warm all evening from the running around. Finally sitting still, as well as being up high in the night air, she did have a little chill. But nothing uncomfortable.

He scooted over closer to her and put his arm around her. She turned into him to snuggle closer. "Well, this will definitely take the chill off," she said with a sly smile at him.

He softly laughed and leaned into her and smelled her hair. She wasn't sure what to make of this sudden show of affection.

"It's nice to get up here where no one can bother you," he said. By this point, they had made their way to the top of the Ferris wheel and it was about to start its nonstop twirl until the ride was over. "I've always loved being up high and looking out over all the lights below."

"It is peaceful, that's for sure. I'm sure you have very little peace in your day to day life."

"It comes with the territory. At home, in Nashville, it's not quite so bad. Everyone there knows me. But when you are out on the road and always in a new place, you never have much peace and quiet for yourself," he answered.

"You'd be surprised how much we are alike," she laughed. "Just without all the fame, fortune and the girls chasing me down."

He laughed at her feeble attempt at a joke and then brushed a stray hair from her eyes. His hand lingered for a moment on her cheek. She felt breathless from the cool night air, but mostly from the emotions that were always kept deep, down inside her that were suddenly swirling to the top. As the ride came to an end, she pulled out her phone and took a self-portrait of the two of them together. A small memento of a great night.